Activity of the human visual cortex measured non-invasively by diffusing-wave spectroscopy.

Activity of the human visual cortex, elicited by steady-state flickering at 8Hz, is non-invasively probed by multi-speckle diffusingwave spectroscopy (DWS). Parallel detection of the intensity fluctuations of statistically equivalent, but independent speckles allows to resolve stimulation-induced changes in the field autocorrelation of multiply scattered light of less than 2%. In a group of 9 healthy subjects we find a faster decay of the field autocorrelation function during the stimulation periods for data measured with a long-distance probe (30mm source-receiver distance) at 2 positions over the occipital cortex (t-test: t(8) = -2.

Diffusing-wave spectroscopy from head-like tissue phantoms: influence of a non-scattering layer.

We investigate the influence of a non-scattering layer on the temporal field autocorrelation function of multiple scattered light from a multilayer turbid medium such as the human head. Data from Monte Carlo simulations show very good agreement with the predictions of the correlation-diffusion equation with boundary conditions taking into account non-diffusive light transport within the non-scattering layer. Field autocorrelation functions measured at the surface of a multilayer phantom including a non-scattering layer agree well with theory and simulations when the source-receiver distance is significantly larger than the depth and the thickness of the non-scattering layer.

Pulsation-resolved deep tissue dynamics measured with diffusing-wave spectroscopy.

We present a technique for measuring transient microscopic dynamics within deep tissue with sub-second temporal resolution, using diffusing-wave spectroscopy with gated single-photon avalanche photodiodes (APDs) combined with standard ungated multi-tau correlators. Using the temporal autocorrelation function of a reference signal allows to correct the temporal intensity autocorrelation function of the sample signal for the distortions induced by the non-constant average photon count rate. We apply this technique to pulsation-synchronized measurements of tissue dynamics in humans.

Noninvasive detection of functional brain activity with near-infrared diffusing-wave spectroscopy.

We use near-infrared dynamic multiple scattering of light [diffusing-wave spectroscopy (DWS)] to detect the activation of the somato-motor cortex in 11 right-handed volunteers performing a finger opposition task separately with their right and left hands. Temporal autocorrelation functions g(1)(r,tau) of the scattered light field are measured during 100-s periods of motor task alternating with 100-s resting baseline periods. From an analysis of the experimental data with an analytical theory for g(1)(r,tau) from a three-layer geometry with optical and dynamical heterogeneity representing scalp, skull, and cortex, we obtain quantitative estimates of the diffusion coefficient in cortical regions.